James w



(No Model.)

J. W. BALLARD. HAND GAR.

No. 462,389. Patented Nov. 3, 1891.

James ZIJ. Bai/afd Unire` States arnNr OFFICE.

JAMES lV. BALLARD, OF TOLEDO, IOVA, ASSIGNOR OF ONEel'lALF TO WILLIAM F. JOHNSTON, OF SAME PLACE.

HAN D-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 462,389, dated November 3, 1891. Application tiled June 17J 1891. Serial No. 396,586. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES W. BALLARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Toledo, in the county of Tama and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Hand-Oar, of which the following is a specication.

rlhis invention relates to improvements in hand-cars, the objects in view being to provide a hand-car of cheap and simple construction adapted to be readily operated and to utilize the weight of the operators as well as the power exerted by them.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear, and the novel' features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective of a hand-car constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig'. 2 isa vertical longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail View of one .of the longitudinal levers carrying the foot-platform.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 designates the opposite parallel side bars of the carframe, which terminate in reduced handles 2 and are connected at their front and rear ends by transverse beams 3, said beams in turn being connected by the longitudinal beams 4. From points near each end ot' the frame-work a flooring 5 extends to the center thereof. Bearings 6 are located upon the under sides of the side bars 1, and in the same is mounted for movement the reduced ends of a central main rock-shaft 7, said rockshaft being square between its ends. By means of keepers 8 said rock-shaft has secured thereto near its opposite ends a pair of longitudinallydisposed levers 9, the extremities of which are upwardly curved and are connected by transversely-disposed platforms 10, located near the ends of the framework. In the side bars 1 are journaled the axles 1l, upon which are mounted for rotation the flanged wheel 12, designed to move upon the track 13 in the usual manner. The rear or drive axle is provided with a small gear 14. In bearings 15, located between the rock-shaft 7 and the rear drive-axle 11, there mental head 20. Standards 2l, connected by cross-bars 22, are located at opposite sides of the rock-arm 19 and constitute the framework of a housing 23 for the same.

In bearings 24, formed in the cross-bar an upper rock-shaft 25 is journaled, and upon the saine a lever 2G is mounted, said lever extending equal distances beyond each side of the rock-shaft, and is bifurcated, as at 27,:fDr connection with handles 2S. A toothed segment 29 is mounted on the shaft 25 and is adapted to lock with the same, the teeth of the segment engaging with the teeth 20 of the rock-arm 19. tends from the lever 26, and the same is connected by a pitman 30 with the cranked portion 1S of the shaft 1G, whereby motion is imparted from the lever 2G to the shaft, and from thence by means of the gear 17 to the small gear 14, and it being fast with the driveshaft operates the latter.

This completes the construction of the handcar, and the operation of the same may be brieiy stated as follows: The operators being -in position, one upon each of the platforms and grasping the handles over the same, it will be seen that as one operator is drawing down upon the handle and therefore lifting a portion of his weight upon the platform, the op posite operator is pushing up upon the opposite handle and bearing down upon his platform, so that the first operator vrelieving his platform from a portion of his weight does not have to be lifted by the opposite or second operator, and vice versa, each operator removing a portion of his own weight when his platform is rising and utilizing both his weight and strength for depressing his platform and raising his handle. It will thus be seen that I greatly increase the propulsion without increasing the power necessary to op- A short inclined arm 291 eX- erate the car, in that I utilize both the strength and Weight of each operator and only at such times as required, and that alternately.

Having described my invention, what I claim isl. In a hand-car, the combination, with the frame-Work, its Wheels, d50., of a rock-shaft, rocking levers rigidly mounted in the shaft and terminating in platforms, a segment mounted on the shaft, a superimposed rockshaft, a segment thereon, and a hand-lever, a crank-shaft, a gear-wheel thereon, a gear on one of the axles, and a pitman connecting the hand-lever With the crank-shaft, substantially as specified. Y

2. In ahandlcar, the combinatiomwith the truck-frame and its axles, of a rock-shaft journaled in the frame, rock-arms extending at opposite sides of and rigid with the shaft and terminating at their ends in platforms, the oscillating rock-arm extending from the shaft, a superimposed hand-lever centrally fulcrumed, connections between the fulcrurn of the same and rock-arm, an arm extending from the lever, a diagonally-disposed rod connected to said arm and extending' to the opposite side of the rock-shaft, and power-conveying devices connecting the same with the lrVe-shaft of the car, substantially as speci- 3. In a hand-car, the comhination,with the" frame-Work, the axles and Wheels, the small gear `in one of the axles, the crank-shaft journaled in the framework, and the gear mounted onthe crank-shaft and engaging the small gear, of the rocleshaft 7, journaled in bearings in the side bars of the frame-Work, the longitudinal levers 9, the keepers 8, connecting` the saine with the rock-shaft, the rockarm 19, extending from the rock-shaft and terminating in a toothed sector 20, the platforms l0, connecting the levers at their ends, the housing 23, the rock-shaft 25, journaled in the housing, the toothed sector 29, mounted on the rock-shaft 25 and engaging the teeth of the sector 20, the hand-lever 26, mounted upon the rock-shaft, 25 and having the handies 28, the arm 29, extending from the lever 2G, and the conneetingrod 30 between the arm and crank-shaft, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES IV. BALLARD.

XVitnesses:

O. B. CLULLX, C. W. JOHNSTON. 

